Archive for February, 2006

Unless you’re purposefully trying to look depressed and angry, there’s no need to drown yourself out in black gear that has no personality. Although the LBD trend is back in full force, you don’t want your outfit to scream “blah.” That said, your black side of the closet doesn’t have to sit and sulk while the rest of the colors get all the attention. Paired with the correct accessories (shoes, jewels, handbags), a black outfit can rock the world like no other color.

To add zest to your ensemble, wear one (key word: one) of the following:

Pointy red mules: Imagine the surprise of onlookers the minute they look down at your fabulous red shoes.Chain-link bracelet: With a black dress, black shoes, and bare neck, sport a chunky chain link bracelet (preferably one with two tones like dark red and gold) that stands out on your wrist.Long, layered necklace: Whether they’re pearls or beads, long necklaces are in. Sport this look only if the neckline of your dress is conducive. Try the look with a turtleneck, crewneck or plunging neckline. Colorful handbag: The contrast of the black with the rich color will automatically put you on the fashion map.

Curves. All women have ones they want to emphasize and others they’d prefer to downplay. But how do you know you’re not downplaying the good curves and highlighting the bad ones?

While most people won’t tell you if you’ve made an unflattering choice, we here at Omiru know that a good friend never lies. Unless you’re a six-foot tall model with a washboard stomach and legs for days, we suggest you stay away from the following:

#1. Expectant mother tops. We know a tall, slender woman who got asked if she was expecting…when she wasn’t. The culprit? You guessed it–the awful Expectant Mother Top. Stay away from pieces that tent out under the bust, especially those with extraneous, bulky fabric.

Our colleague Agathe over at StyleBytes wrote about how the everpresent Nautical trend is starting to grow on her. We’ve been fond of it since the beginning, and we found some particularly sailor chic items while browsing at Forever 21 over the weekend. Our two cents? Keep it casual–lest you look like you belong at sea.

Stroll down the magazine aisle of any bookstore ,and you’ll fast realize that there are more fashion publications than one can physically keep up with. And if you pick one up, you’ll find more advertisements than editorial. If you’re tired of the fluff, try FLY DVD, the first fashion and art “moving-magazine” instead.

“How is watching a film comparable to reading a magazine?” you may ask yourself. The answer lies in the third dimension.

Up until now, the fashion curious have experienced their love of clothing through traditional 2-D print magazines. FLY DVD is bringing to life the outfits (and models) you wish you could see in person. Another reason to dust off that DVD machine is a vital element FLY has that Vogue doesn’t: sound. FLY is giving serious fashionistas all over the chance to not only see style in action, but to also hear it. With its integration of film, music, art, fashion, and dialogue, the goal is not only for the viewer to have fun, but also to be stimulated, inspired, and informed even when they step away from the television set.

Though the FLY DVD concept is in its early stages, its players are no rookies. Zero Issue, the very first fashion on film FLY DVD, features the works of established and emerging photographers, filmmakers, animators, artists, and musicians. With 14 fashion films, 6 interviews and documentaries, 9 music videos, Zero Issue includes fashion editors’ favorite designers: Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Y3, Zac Posen, Boudicca, and Cloak.

Featured in the next issue are contributions from John Malkovich, Alex Antitch, KT Auleta, Mike Figgis, Vanina Sorrenti, and Alex Cayley. Look for designs from Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Burberry Prorsum, Riccardo Tisci, and more. If you still have no clue how fashion plays on film, visit www.insidefly.com for a sneak-peak trailer of Zero Issue.

Designers have always found inspiration in the most unique things: nature, history, obscure inanimate objects, music – but one of the most prolific muses in the fashion is the silver screen. In an odd, coincidental relationship, many of the movies that we see today serve as a launch pad for what we will see on the runway at fashion week or what the “next big thing” will be for the trendy urban hipsters all across the state (and maybe even the world).

If this sounds a bit far fetched, let’s flash back to the inspiring cinematic styles of the past.

Remember those days of legwarmers and fashionable aerobic attire (circa 1983)? This phenomenon, which can now be seen as a faux pas, can largely be accredited to the sexy stripper-turned-ballerina 80s classic, Flashdance. As soon as Jennifer Beals strutted her stuff in off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and red heels, thousands of teenage girls made sure they had a considerable back stock of all the clothing needed to do a sweltering workout routine to “Maniac.”

Traveling further back into time brings us to 1977 with Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. The masculine, yet cutesy, Chaplin-esque tailored suits and derbies adorned by Diane Keaton were soon echoed by women who fed on the meat of late 70’s pop culture.

More recently, we have been seeing styles on screen woven into the chic matrix of modern fashion. When Shrek came out, green was the new black. And not too long after that spotty rendition of the Trojan War came out (a.k.a. Troy), Greek-styled sandals were flip-floppin’ on the hip streets of metropolitan cities.

This trend theory is even evident in the most recent runway shows at Olympus Fashion Week. Designers like James Coviello, Tuleh, J Mendel, Nanette Lepore and BCBG – all utilized some sort of Japanese influence a la Memoirs of a Geisha. Even before fashion week, top designers Diane von Furstenberg and Stella McCartney stayed one step ahead of the game by creating some suitable kimono tops – take a look at them in this post.

Based on this ongoing fashion forecast, it’s only inevitable that the romantic western look of “Brokeback Mountain” will imprint its Oscar nominated claws into the style industry. More than that, the summer may bring sleek X-looks (X-men 3) or even have a color palette of red, yellow and blue (Superman Returns.) Although this can happen, I’m not too sure the world is ready for haute couture by means of superhero movies.

Grammy goers like Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Love Hewitt, India Arie, Kanye West, and LL Cool J aren’t the only ones donning white these days. Whether in a club, in the mall, or on the streets, San Franciscans are sporting the white trend like it’s summer all over again.